iterally "a thousand thanks." This beautiful Italian expressionof gratitude is commonplace in the homeland of St. Francisand St. Clare of Assisi. In this 10th anniversary year of my

presidency, I aim to make it as common among all St. Bonaventurealumni, friends, faculty, staff and students.

This goal to make mille grazie* common in our lexicon is not be-

cause it's the name of a very thoughtful fundraising campaign initi-ated by our Board of Trustees to mark this milestone anniversary ofmy presidency. I wish to make it known among all Bona faithful be-cause I am deeply grateful -- beyond words or numbers --for yoursupport that has propelled my years at the helm of your belovedBonaventure.

A thousand thanks does not begin to express my appreciation to

our faculty and academic administration, whose commitment tostudent-centered excellence in education has fueled an academicassessment paradigm that received overwhelming praise by our vis-iting team for the Middle States re-accreditation in October. Whilethe final decision on our regional re-accreditation lies in the handsof the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, we owe ourfaculty and academic administration, in particular, a debt of grati-tude for their focus and determination. This resulted in the best exitreport of any Middle States visiting team in the history of this Uni-versity.

What does this mean to the average person on the street? It

means our faculty members are committed to assuring studentlearning and documentable student learning outcomes -- and thattranslates into student success. Given this, it's no wonder that U.S.News and World Report has named St. Bonaventure University the#3 Best College Value in the North (#1 in New York) among re-gional universities.

A thousand thanks only skims the surface of my gratefulness for

the loyalty and selfless giving of our alumni and friends who, duringthe course of my 10 years as president, have contributed in excessof $112 million to support the building and facilities projects, en-dowments, faculty development, scholarships, and annual operat-ing needs of this University. St. Bonaventure University is the envy ofother colleges and universities who wish to follow in the realm ofour record of philanthropic support. It would not be possible to dowhat we do for students and for our regional community withoutthe generosity of our extraordinary alumni.

A thousand thanks includes our religious sponsor, the Holy Name

Province, and the countless Franciscans worldwide who have servedthe University on our faculty, in ministry, in scholarship, in commu-nity service, and in prayer for our University and our students, fac-ulty, staff, alumni and mission. We believe in the goodness of everyperson and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.

That goodness stems from and is perpetuated throughthe vows and commitment of Franciscans the worldover.

Truthfully, I could fill the remainder of the pages in this

magazine -- and more -- with lists of the individuals,groups, and gracious gifts and considerations for which Iam grateful. These experiences and generosities havemade the past 10 years rich, remarkable and humblingbeyond anything I might have imagined when I took myoath of office. I will continue to do all that is in mypower, with the blessing of God's greater power, tomake good with these extraordinary gifts.